-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. Supreme Court upheld President Barack Obama 's sweeping health care legislation Thursday in a narrow 5-4 ruling that Obama says will provide up to 30 million additional Americans with health care .

America does n't have universal health care coverage -- what the World Health Organization -LRB- WHO -RRB- calls `` a widely shared political aim of most countries '' -- but neither do most other countries .

Nearly 50 countries have attained universal or near-universal health coverage by 2008 , according to the International Labor Organization . Several well-known examples exist like the UK , which has the National Health Service , and the Canadian public health care system .

Here are more examples of countries have implemented near-universal health care .

Brazil

Free health care coverage is recognized as a citizen 's right in Brazil .

Brazilians have both a private and public health care system , which was overhauled in 1988 . The Sistema Ãšnico de SaÃºde , a nationalized program , provides primary health care , while a network of public and contracted hospitals delivers specialist care .

About 80 percent of Brazil 's population relies on public care , while the wealthiest 20 % can afford private health care , according to a Center for Strategic and International Studies report .

Since the 1990s , Brazil has also provided universal access to HIV/AIDS drugs .

During the three decades since the nation 's major health care changes , infant mortality decreased and life expectancy increased by 10.6 years , according to a 2011 article in medical journal The Lancet .

But the system has n't been without problems , according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies report , which alluded to gaps in the quality of care between various Brazilian regions .

Rwanda

Since establishing a national health plan in 1999 , Rwanda has insured about 91 % of its population with health care -- a greater percentage than the United States .

Rwanda has been dubbed `` Africa 's Singapore '' by The Economist for its transformation since a devastating genocide in 1994 .

Watch Fareed Zakaria talk with Rwanda 's president

The country has three health insurance plans , one for government employees , another for the military , and the third for the remaining population . The country commits about 20 % of its annual spending to health , which is funded by tax revenues , insurance premiums and financial support from international donations , according to a WHO report .

Since introducing health insurance , Rwanda has seen lower childhood mortality rates ; more people are also receiving medical attention . But the country faces challenges from an increase in health services and making contributions more affordable for its poorest citizens , according to a WHO report .

Thailand

By law , Thailand requires all patients to be covered by health insurance , regardless of their ability to pay .

The WHO uses Thailand as an example of a low - or middle-income country that has been able to extend health coverage to all citizens .

Introduced in 2002 as the `` 30-bhat scheme , '' -LRB- which is less than $ 1 -RRB- , the plan added about 14 million previously uninsured people to the Thai system .

Prescription drugs , hospitalizations and services like chemotherapy , surgery and emergency care are free to patients , according to a WHO report .

But the addition of millions of people to a health care system strained the existing structures , prompting criticisms of long waits , poor quality of service and shortage of service .

South Korea

South Korea passed a law in 1977 , mandating health insurance for industrial workers . During its rapid economic growth , health care became a priority for the government , which created the National Health Insurance . The system extended to universal coverage by 1989 .

The government merged more than 300 individual insurers into a single national fund , according to a WHO report .

Korea 's single-payer program has `` been successful in mobilizing resources for health care , rapidly extending population coverage , effectively pooling public and private resources to purchase health care for the entire population , and containing health care expenditure , '' according to a report published in Health Policy Plan .

But another report published in Health Affairs said that the public funding is limited , leaving `` beneficiaries with relatively high payments . '' South Korea 's expenditure on health care is 6.3 % of the country 's gross domestic product , compared with 18 % in the United States .

Moldova

The Eastern European country became independent with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 . By 2004 , it began a mandatory health insurance program with the aim of providing the entire population with basic health care .

Employed Moldovans chip in a portion of their income through a payroll tax or a flat-rate contribution . Others who are unemployed or not working are insured by the government .

Its National Health Insurance Company is the sole buyer of health care services and organizes emergency , primary and secondary care locally , according to a report by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies , a joint partnership between European governments and the World Health Organization .

Kuwait

Kuwait 's level of health care is comparable to average European standards , according to the WHO 's profile of the Middle Eastern country .

The country began building up its health care system as it gained wealth from oil revenues . By the 1950s , the government implemented free comprehensive health care . This resulted in declines in general mortality and infant deaths , the report said . `` Free health care was so extensive that it even included veterinary medicine , '' according to a local WHO report .

Kuwait faces an aging population as well as an epidemic of diabetes , heart disease and obesity-related complications that place great demands on its health care system .

Chile

The Chilean constitution guarantees rights to health protection .

Chileans can opt for public care or get coverage from private health insurance companies . Wealthier citizens can buy insurance from the Instituciones de Salud Previsional or obtain coverage through their employer . A 7 % income tax funds the public health care system , the Fondo Nacional de Salud , according to an analysis of health care reform in Chile .

Public care includes free medical , dental and midwifery services , which are run locally . Private insurance tends to focus on specialist treatment .

The existence of both public-private insurance has created inequities of care , prompting reform efforts in 2000 to increase equality across the country .

Chile has guaranteed universal access to quality treatment for some conditions including certain cancers , HIV/AIDS , pneumonia , depression and dental care , which has improved care for the poor , according to the WHO .

China

China announced an overhaul of its health system in 2009 to bring safe , affordable basic health services to all residents -- a tall order for a country containing 1.3 billion people .

The government committed about $ 126 billion to reform the quality and efficiency of its health care , and ensure affordable and quality medication .

But the issue of equity in health care persists . `` There are still significant disparities in health status between regions , urban and rural areas , and among population groups , '' according to the WHO .

China has seen increased life expectancy and reductions in infant deaths , but health observers stated in the WHO report the need to improve delivery of care .

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Universal health coverage prevalent in Europe and several non-Western nations

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World Health Organization calls universal coverage `` a widely shared political aim of most countries ''

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U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule shortly on Obama 's sweeping health care reform